2014 could be tough year for Turkey's relations with EU

Due to growing fatigue in the European Union (EU) on its enlargement as well as domestic troubles the Turkish government is facing inside the country, Turkey may face a tough year in its relations with the EU in 2014. Turkey's accession negotiations with the EU began in 2005, 18 years after its first application. Yet, negotiations have been slow primarily due to the opposition from member states like France, Germany and Cyprus. Since Dec. 17, the Turkish government has been embroiled in a major corruption scandal that led to the resignation of three ministers and a cabinet reshuffle. As scandals shook the country, the Ankara government removed hundreds of senior police officials as well as leading prosecutors who are involved in the graft investigation. The move sparked criticism from the EU and the Turkish opposition parties, which contended that the government is " interfering with the judiciary." European Union Commissioner for Enlargement Stefan Fule said "I urge Turkey... to take all the necessary measures to ensure that allegations of wrongdoing are addressed without discrimination or preference in a transparent and impartial manner." The European commissioner was sending a veiled message to Turkey that it needs to handle corruption investigation carefully in order to avoid confrontation with the EU, according to local observers. Fule is not the only one that spells trouble for stalled Turkey 's EU membership talks. Scores of European Parliament members have blasted on Erdogan's government for blaming corruption woes to external enemies. Elmar Brok, chairperson of the European Parliament's Foreign Affairs Committee warned that the people in Europe were fast losing their confidence in Turkish politicians' will to really create a modern, democratic country. The EU criticism came on the heels of anti-government protests in Turkey in May and June of last year during which the EU delayed opening a chapter in negotiations that was slated to be launched after three years of hiatus in relations. "Whenever Turkey's EU accession process slows down, domestic political crisis erupt in Turkey," Beril Dedeoglu of Galatasaray University stated. "France only lifted its veto on the opening of one chapter out of five and conveyed to Turkey that nothing more should be expected before the European Council elections in May, which indicates that 2014 will be a stagnant year in terms of negotiating chapters," Selcuk Gultasli, the bureau chief of Turkey 's daily Zaman said.